Arun Jaitley files nomination papers

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley Monday filed his nomination papers for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

Jaitley, a senior lawyer and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, will face former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh in the high-profile contest for the seat.

Sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Amritsar, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, was absent when Jaitley's filed his papers.

Sidhu was dumped by the BJP despite winning the Amritsar seat in 2004, 2007 (by-election) and 2009. He has not been seen in Amritsar ever since Jaitley, his political guru, was announced as the BJP candidate from Amritsar.

The election for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held April 30. The ruling Akali Dal and BJP have an alliance government in Punjab since 2007.

Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is the daughter-in-law of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, filed her nomination papers Monday from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency.

Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Sukhbir Badal, Punjab's deputy chief minister and Akali Dal president, is pitted against Sukhbir's cousin Manpreet Badal. Manpreet Badal is the joint candidate of the Congress and the People's Party of Punjab.